Matrix-making- machine



Patented July 1 HEET 1.

2 sHEETs-s l. N. ZELLER.

MATRIX MAKING MA CHINE.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 7, 1919 Patented July 18, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ISAIAH N. ZELLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MATRIX-IVIAKING MACHINE.

Application filed March 7, 1919.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, subject of the Emperor at Chicago, in the count ot Cook and Qtate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l v lfliillX l lfllilllflf Machines, of which the following is specilication.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for making matrices for stereotyping, electrotyping and other purposes and its object broadly to employ the principles and mechanism of typewritiinr machines for making the type impressions.

Another object of the invention is to make type impressions in a suitable atrix blank by the individual application thereto of type suitably mounted and adapted to be actuated by finger pressure, the impression of each type being made in proper relation to each preceding type impression and by direct pressure of the type against the matrix blank.

Another object of the invention is to heat each type character quickly and to a sulii cient degree, as it is brought into impres sion position, to facilitate or actually burn the impression in the matrix blank.

A. further object is to provide means of simple character for making changes or corustria, residing rections in the work, or for other reasons,

by obliterating an impression or impressions and restoring the matrix to proper condition for the reception of new impressions.

And further objects or" the invention are to regulate the depth of each impression, and also to insure uniformity in the depth of the impressions by automatic means which will indicate to the operator, at each character impression operation, when to release the finger pressure on the operating lieyl In the accompanying drawi have shown the invention embodied in so much of an ordinary type-bar typewriting; machine as will be necessary to understand the in-- vention, and referring thereto Fig. 1 is a perspective view;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a type character in impression position between the guides;

Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a frag ment or the matrix;

Fig. dis a perspective view illustrating" another embodiment of the corr cting means;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July '2 8, 1823.

Serial No. 281,253.

the paste tube in operative position between the guides;

Fin. 6 is a detail view showing the er closing the paste tube.

In the drawings 7 is the carriage, 8 the platen. 9 the type guides, 10 a key lever pivoted on rod ll, a type-bar pivoted on rod 13, and 141 a. link pivoted on rod 15 and connecting the ey lever and type-bar substantially as will be tound in a well known tyi ieuu'i ng machine. (lee conductor 16 of an electric circuit is attached to one of the g les 9 and the other conductor 1'? is atd the other guide. The type block 18 is made of high resistance metal and is mounted in a socket it) in the end of the type-bar and separated therefrom by suitable insulating material 520 (Fig. @n each side of the type block there is a shoulder 2,1 and these shoulders are adapted to contact with the guides 9 when the type character on the block is in impression posi tion, thereby closing the electric circuit through the guides and quickly heating the type block to a degree which will make the type character burn an impression in the matrix blank 22. The guides 9 are, of course suitably insulated from the frame of the machine, and they project outwardly from the platen so that the shoulders will engage therewith to close the circuit before the impression is made. Thus the type character is heated by the time it engages the matrix to burn an impression therein.

The impression will be quickly made and to indicate to the operator when pressure on the key lever should be removed 1 pro vide a contact bar adapted to be depressed by the key lever into engagement with a contact bar Contact 9. is carried by a 'rame pivoted on a rot suitably mountn the :lrame of the machine. Springs attached to trzuue and to the trams oit machine hold the frame normally in elevated position. beneath the key levers to be operated thereby Wl1G1'16 6I a key depressed. Contact 24; is mounted suitably on and insulated from the frame 24' ot the machine. These contact bars may be in an inblock the key lever will have depressed contact against contact- 2 to close the cirtuit there and thus complete the circuit through the electric lamp :28. The light will signal the operator that a type character is in impression position and making an impression and since the impression is quickly made the operator may withdraw his finger from the key immediately after the light flashes or as soon thereafter as practice will indicate to be desirable. In this way a con stant uniformity of impression depth will be maintained. As an operator becomes proficient in the work he may not require the signal, but even then it will constitute a warning by not lighting if the circuit is not closed for any reason.

As in all typewriting work the operator may sometimes press the wrong key, or write the wrong word, and in such event it becomes necessary to fill or plug the impression or impressions so that the correct character may be impressed in its proper position. In Fig. l I have shown a slidable block 29 mounted on two rods 30 secured in the carriage 7 and carrying a tube 31 coiitaining a pulp paste or any other mate rial suitable for the purpose. The tube is supported and secured in a cap 32 which is pivoted at 33 on a plate 34 slid-ably mounted on the block 29. In normal position the tube will be swung down to rest upon the plate 34 or block 29 and retracted so that the cap and mouth of the tube, which projects through the cap, will not strike the guides during the travel. of the carriage or otherwise interfere with the operation of the machine. l/Vhen it becomes necessary to correct an error the carriage or the block or both may be adjusted to dispose the tube opposite the error after which the plate is pushed forward and the tube is tilted to bring the mouth of the tube in juxtaposition to the error impression. Then the tube is squeezed to press out some of the filling into and. fill the error impression. The fill ing may be spread lengthwise on the matrix blank to smooth it thereover, or to .fill several impressions, by sliding the block 29 or by moving the carriage in the usual manner. Or if desired the filling can be spread and smoothed with a finger. However, it is not necessary that the surface should be per fectly smooth. I may use a tube having a fiat mouth to discharge the filling in a ribbon form transversely of the line of impression (Fig. l) or lengthwise thereof, in a manner well adapted for the purpose.

in Figs. 4-6 I haveshown a flexible tube 35 containing fillingrmaterial provided with. a ap 36 mounted on a bar 37 pivoted on rod and connected by a link 38 to a key lever 89 corresponding to key lever 10. The cap 36 has a ring 40 around its neck on which is mounted a spreader ll which is swung over to close the mouth of the tube when the latter is not in use (Fig. 6) or is swung open (Fig. to cooperate with the collar in closing the circuit between the guides 9. The ring and. spreader are preferably made of electric resistance material so that they will quickly heat up and heat and dry the filling material applied to the matrix. In the latter position the spreader can be utilized to spread the filling lengthwise of the line of impressions by moving the carriage of the machine in the usual manner relatively to the guides. lVhen the circuit is closed through the guides by the spreader and the ring the filling material will be heated to flow freely, or to dry quickly, or both, as may be desired.

For the purpose of controlling the depth as well as to insure uniform depth of the impressions I prefer to make the contact bars 23, 21 ailjustable with relation to each other. Either or both of the bars may thus be made adjustable but I believe it will be sutlicient to support the bar 24L adjustably on frame 24L by adjusting screws 2%. Then by operating the screws the contact bar 24: may be adjusted towards or from contact bar 23 and in this way the depth of impression is regulated and uniformity insured.

My invention is adaptable to all kinds of machines and it can be easily embodied in a modern typewriting machine of the bar-type roller platen style as indicated in the drawings and it will therefore be easy to operate and comparatively inezrpensive to build since very little designing is required. It can be embodied in new machines or in used machines. By breaking the electric circuit in any suitable manner and sup' ilying the usual ribbon the machine can be used as an ordinary typewriter, In a roller platen machine 1. use a flexible matrix blank of suitable material to receive the impressions and in a flat platen or book typewriting machine I may use the same or some other matrix blank. The impressions may be efi'ected on soft matrix blanks simply by pressure of the type characters througl'i the medium of the key levers and their connections.

I am. aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention and I therefore rematrix blank, means for swinging said typebars separately to slide between said guides, and a matrix blank on said platen.

A matrix making machine comprising a platen, a pair of guides disposed in impression position with relation to the platen,

an electric circuit including said guides, a plurality of pivoted type-bars, type blocks othigh resistance material mounted on said bars and insulated therefrom, type characters on the blocks, and a plurality of key levers for separately operating said type-- bars to swing a type-bar into electric contact with the guides and into operative contact with a matrix blank on the platen.

3. A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, a pivoted type-bar, a pair of guides, projecting outwardly from the platen, an electric circuit including said guides, a type block mounted on said bar and bearing a type character and having lateral shoulders to engage the guides, and means for swinging said bar to carry the block between said guides and close the circuit to heat the type character and cause it to burn an impression in the matrix blank.

4. A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, a pivoted type-bar having a socket at its free end, a pair of guides arranged adjacent printing position, an electric circuit including said guides, a type block mounted in said socket and insulated therefrom, said block having a type character on its face and laterally projecting shoulders to engage said guides, and a key lever operatively connected to said type-bar to swing the latter on its pivot and cause the type block to close said circuit thereby heating the type character and causing it to burn an impression in the matrix blank.

5. A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, a plurality of pivoted type bars having type characters therein for producing type impressions in said blank, a plurality of key levers tor oprating the type bars, and a single means common to all the key levers for positively limiting the depth of said impressions.

6. A matrix making machine comprising platen carrying a matrix blank, a plurality of pivoted type bars carrying the type characters for making impressions in said blank, a plurality of key levers operatively connected to said type bars, and means associateu with said key levers forming a positive limit for the downward movement thereof to positively-control the depth of said impressions.

7. A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, a pivoted type-bar carrying the type character for making an impression in said blank, a key lever operatively connected to said type character, a pair of electric contacts nor mally separated and adapted to be engaged when said key lever is operated to control the depth of the impression, an electric circuit including said contacts, and a signal device.

8 A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, a type character adapted to make an impression in said blank, a key lever operatively connected to said type character, a fixed contact to control the depth oi the impression, a yield ingly mounted movable contact arranged in the path of movement of said key lever, and an electric circuit including said contacts and a signal device.

9. A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, a pivoted type-bar carrying a type character, a pair of guides, a key lever operatively connected to said type-bar, a fixed contact, a movable contact adapted to be operated by said key lever to engage said fixed contact, and an electric circuit including said guides and said contacts and a signal device, said circuit adapted to be closed by engagement of the type bar with the guides.

10. A matrix making machine compris ing a platen carrying a matrix blank, means for producing impressions in said blank, a bar pivotally mounted in the machine, a key lever for operating said bar, a receptacle containing filling material mounted on said bar and adapted to be carried thereby into juxtaposition to said matrix blank to discharge the filling material thereon, and means for heating said filling material at the discharge end of said receptacle.

11. A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, means for producing impressions in the blank, and movable means on the machine for plugging impressions in the blank comprising a receptacle containing filling material adapted to be moved into juxtaposition to the matrix blank to discharge the filling material thereon, and a spreader connected with said receptacle for spreading material on the matrix blank.

12. A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, means for producing impressions in the blank, and movable means on the machine for plugging impressions in the blank comprising a receptacle containing a filling material adapted to be moved into juxtaposition t0 the matrix blank to discharge the filling ma terial thereon, and a spreader pivotally mounted at the discharge end of the receptacle normally closing the receptacle but adapted to be swung open to spread the filling material on the matrix blank.

13. A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, a pair of guides, an electric circuit including said of said. receptacle, and means for moving said receptacle into position between said guides to cause said conductor on the re ceptacle to close the circuit through said guides and thereby heat the material discharged. from said receptacle.

14. A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, means for producing impressions in said blank, a pair of guides, an electric circuit includ ing said guides, means for plugging impressions in the blank comprising a movable receptacle containing filling material and adapted to be moved into position be tween said guides to discharge said filling material onto the matrix blank, an electric conductor at the mouth of said receptacle, and a spreader of conducting material mounted at the mouth of the receptacle, said spreader and conductor conjointly closing the circuit between the guides to heat the filling material.

15. A matrix making machine comprising a platen carrying a matrix blank, means for producing impressions in said blank, a pair of guides, an electric circuit including said guides, means for plugging impressions in the blank comprising a removable receptacle containing filling material and adapted to be moved into position between said guides to discharge said filling material onto the matrix blank, a device mounted on said receptacle adjacent the mouth thereof to engage the material discharged from the receptacle 011 the matrix blank, and means for closing the electric circuit through said device to heat the same and dry the mate rial discharged on the matrix blank.

ISAIAH N. ZELLER. WVitness:

M. A. Kmnm. 

